Sylvania



(No Model.)

G. W. MINGLE & W. T. BROWN. PROTECTOR FOR ELEOTRIG WIRES AND INSTRUMENTS.

N0. 352,342. Patented Nov. 9, 1886.

1 VENTORSZ WITNESSES: j

N. PETERS, Plwmumu n nu. Washiugmn, D. C.

I UNITED STATES PATENT OEEicE.

GEORGE V. MINGLE AND l/VILLIAM T. BROXVN, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENN- SYLVANlA,ASSIGNORS TO SAID l/VILLIAM T. BROXVN.

PROTECTOR FOR ELECTRIC W IRES AND lNS'i'RUh/lENTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.352,3 12,duted November 9, 1 886.

Application filed April 2., 1856.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, GEORGE W. MINGLE and WILLIAM T. BROWN, both citizens of the United States, residing in the city and county 5 of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Protectors for Electric VVir-cs and Instruments, which improvement is fully set forth in the following specification and accompanying 1o drawings, in which-- Figure 1 represents a side elevation of an electrical protector for wires and instruments embodying our invention. Fig. 2 represents a section thereof in line 00, Fig. 3. Fig. 3

r represents a plan or top view of the same. Fig. 4 represents a transverse section in line y 3/, Fig. l.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

Our invention relates to improvements in apparatus forthc protection of telegraph, telephone, and other electrical instruments, and the wires, cables, or conductors attached thereto, from the destructive effects of abnor- 2 5 mal elcciriccurrents.

Referring to the drawings, A represents a base of some suitable insulating material. Placed thereon at one end is a nut, B, having electrical connection with the metallic block 0 O and the lever D through the medium of the shaft E, on which the lever D is free to move. Coiled around the hub of the lover D,and rigidly secured thereto at one end, is the spring F, which engages on its other end with the 5 supporting'post on the block C of said lever and tends to turn it on its axis.

G G represent uprights, one of insulating material and the other metal, having stretched between them the wires H H H, the uprights G G being supported on the base A at such distance from the block 0 that the wires H will engage the end of the lever D.

E represents a wire electrically connecting the metal upright G to the coil of the electromagnct J.

On the base A is also placed the electro magnet J, having the core K and armature L, the coil of said magnet being composed of wire of coarser grade than the fusible wires H H H 50 and the said armature being constructed of an Serial No. 197,554.

No model.)

iron piece, L, and a flat spring portion, L", properly secured thereto, the said armature with its spring-piece being so placed that the said spring-piece is adapted to be brought in. contact with a post, It, secured to the base A of the device. The spring-piece may be dis pensed with and the end of the metallic piece L be directly over the post It. The armature L is suitably pivoted'and supported on the upright M, which is insulated from the said upright G, and has an extension, N, engaging the tension-spring P, suitably scoured. The tension of the spring P serves to keep the armature L from the electro-niagnet J. A bind ing-post, I, is secured to the said base. The nut B is in electrical connection with the core of the magnet J, and also with the post R.

B represents the main line of atelegraph or telephonic circuit, which latter maybe of any form or make, and, not being claimed by itself, is not shown in the drawings. The ground wire 0 is connected to the post it, the core K, and the binding-plate and post S, and from thence is run to the ground. The top wire, D, connects the bindingpost S with the base 7 of the armature;support. I

The operation is as follows: The lever D is depressed and the line wires H properly connected. The current of the circuit enters through the block 0 by means of a clamp, 8 screw, or nut, B, passes through the block 0, thence into the lever D through the line wires H, thence through the piece which supports the upright M into the electroanagnct J,thence to the bindingpost S, whence it passes to the instrument. Should an abnormal current cross the line, it will pass through nut B, block 0, lever D,'i'usible wires H H H metallic upright G. wire E, coil of electroanagnet J, magnetizing the core thereof and thereby attractc ing the armature so as to close the circuit with post B, and thence to ground, the circuit also containing wire J, bindingpost S, top wire, D, and support of armature, by which means the coil of the magnet is not shunted during 5 passage of the current, but continuesin the circuit, and is therebyenabled to continuously magnetize the core, preventing vibrations of the armature. The descent of the armature L at first brings the spring If in contact with the LII post It, the grouml-wire connection of which runs the current to the ground, by which means the instrument to be protected is re movnl from the circuit and the current is short circuited or condensed upon the fine wires II, causing them successively to fuse and separate as theabnorinal current may continue,

which allows the lever I) to rotate, thus entirely breaking the circuit. As theabnormal current passes to the ground and from the coil ofthe magnct,the coil is no longer magnetized, thus releasing the armature, the ground-connection being thereby broken. The spring If may be dispensed with and the armature L extended, so as to come directly in contact with the post 11-. Instead ofthe circuit being shunted from the magnet J, it may pass through the magnet to avoid vibrations of feeble, though dangerous, currents.

Fig. 1 shows the instrument in its normal position, in which the line enters at the nut B, thence by the block Caud level-D to the wires H, thence to the upright G, and by wire E to the coil of the elcetro-magnet, and thence to the bindingpost S and through the instrument.

An abnormal electric current-such aslight ning-entering at the block 0 will fuse one of the line wires H, in which case thelever D will make contact with the nextfine wire H, thus insuring the continuity of the circuit. Should, however, a heavy or continuous abnormal current enter at the post B, the electro-magnet J will be energized, thereby attracting the armature L, which, on making contact with the post R and thence to the ground directthrows i'ull strength of the abnormal current through the wires H, which instantly fuse, releasing the lever I), and thus breaking the circuit.

\Ve do notlimitourselves to theform of electro-magnet herein shown, as we can adopt any other in lieu thereof. Instead of fusing strips of wire, we can use strips of fusible metal.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Let ters Patent, is-

1. In an electric protector for wires and in struments, the combination of an insulatingbase having thereon a rotating lever, fusible wires, and an electro-niagnet having an armature normally in the electric circuit and adapted to complete the connection with the ground-wire, substantially as and for the pur pose set forth.

2. An electric protector for wires and instruments, having a rotating lever, fusible wires adapted to bein contact with said lever, an eleetro-magnet having its coil electrically connected to said fusible wires, an armature electrically connected to said coil and adapted to be brought in contact with the core of said magnet when an abnormal current of electricity is passed through the said circuit, and a ground-wire attached to said core, all of said l parts being combined and arranged substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In an electric protector for wires and instruments, a rotating lever, fusible wires adapted to be in contact with said lever, an electro-inagnet having its coil electrically connected to said fusible wires and to the instrument to be protected, and means, substantially as described, actuated by the passage of an abnormal current of electricity for grounding said current without shunting the electromagnet, all combined substantially as described.

I. In an electric protector for wires and instruments, a rotating lever, fusible wires, an electromagnct, a binding-post, wires electrically connecting the coil of said magnet, fusible wires and binding-post, a tap-wire connecting said binding-post and the base of the armaturesupport, a contact-post having a groundwire, all of said parts being combined and arranged whereby an abnormal current of elec tricity may be grounded without passing to the instrument to be protected.

5. In an electric protector for wires and instruments, an insulated base, A, having suitably seeured thereon a rotary lever, fusible wires on supports G G, the former metallic, the latter insulated, the electro-magnet J, electrically connected to fusible wires and to binding-post S, all of said parts being combined substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

0. In an electric protector for wires and instruments, a rotating lever, fusible wires in contact with said lever,an electromagnet having its coil in electric connection with said wires and a bindingpost, the latter having a wire connection with the instrument to be protected, an armature adapted to be brought in contact with the core of said magnet, a ground from said core, and a tapwire electricaliyconnecting the said binding-post to the base of said armature-support, all of said parts so combined and arranged whereby an abnormal current may be grounded, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

7. An electric protector for wires and instruments, having a metallic armature-support with the armature, an electro magnet having its coil connected to a binclingpost, and a wire electrically connecting said bindingpost with the base of the armaturesupport, whereby an abnormal current of electricity passing through said coil, while actuating the armature and grounding the current, continues to magnetize the core of the magnet during the passage of the said abnormal current, substantially as described.

GEORGE W. MINGLE. WM. T. BROWN.

Vitnesses:

Join: A. W IEDERSHEIM,

A. P. GRANT. 

